Chocolate Icing Ingredients:

Preparation:

Beat shortening and sugar with a heavy-duty mixer on a medium setting for about 2 minutes. One at a time add the eggs; beat until yellow disappears. Alternately mix in dry ingredients (salt, flour and baking powder) with the milk, ending with the dry ingredients. Blend in vanilla extract. Pour batter into 2 baking pans (about 17 inches long by 12 inches wide by 1 inch deep) filled 1/4 inch deep. Bake for 30 minutes, checking for doneness after about 20 minutes. Cool. Cut into 6 rectangular slices 8 inches long x 4 1/2 inches wide.

Chocolate icing: Slowly mix hot water into powdered sugar. Add the melted chocolate. Beat by hand until smooth. Add 1 1/8 tsp water. Beat again. Frost one layer of cake and put another layer on top and frost. Let it sit a minute to set or the layer may slip off. Repeat until all six layers are frosted. Frost top, sides and ends. Cake size should be 8 inches long by 41/2 inches wide by 4 inches tall.